Flowers in Snow
by Desert Bloom
Summary: Driven by his loosening grip on the Juunishi, Akito decides to see what all the talk is about and stay for a month at Shigure's house. This will not be the calmest thirty days.
1. Even God Sneezes

**Authoresses' Note: Hiya! It's been years since I've written serious fan fiction, although honestly I don't know if you can call this serious writing. I'm going to have a field day with the cheap adverbs and horrible syntax, mostly because I can (and I want this to be relaxing, not demanding). If you still enjoy this, please drop me a review or two. .**

**I've also read some of the latest chapters, so WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS. If I need to pick a point in the series, then it's all happening around the same time as the most recent chapters. If this impedes your ability to understand what's going on, I apologize, but I'm not quite sure how else to write it.  
**

* * *

**Chapter One of Flowers in Snow: Even God Sneezes **

* * *

There was something foul in the air. Akito sniffed, a faintly familiar scent disturbing her senses.

And suddenly, the thunderous sneeze was upon her. Kureno dropped the book he was holding immediately, turning to her, his eyes narrowed with concern. He stepped forward to gently caress her cheek, the movement so suspiciously soft that Akito fought the urge to slap his hand away.

"Are you developing a cold?" Kureno asked, withdrawing and allowing some space between them. Other than Shigure, Kureno was best at reading Akito's subtle signals – he'd doubtlessly noticed her momentarily recoil. "I can arrange for Hatori if you –"

But Akito was fresh on the trail of this scent, and the last thing she needed was an intruding visit from the doctor. Besides, Hatori had that eye, which Akito hated to look at it, especially because it constantly reminded her of Hatori's previous rebelliousness and the unseemly consequences that had reaped. "It's not that…it's…the perfume of that…that _woman_."

"Akito?"

Why a questioning tone, when it was all so obvious?

"She's been in this room. That woman – that enemy of my own flesh and blood – she's been here. And I made it clear that this was one of my rooms. Besides which, I'm allergic to this infernal perfume. It reeks of shit." Again, she sneezed.

Her hands flew to the nearby window, and she jerked it open so that the cold winter flooded the room. She scowled, since now she would have to find a way to cleanse this tainted place.

The wind seized the opportunity to rush into the room, blowing back her dark hair, and almost throwing off her loosely clipped ceremonial robes. Akito had to be quick, rushing to pull the cloth over her nearly bare chest so that the secret of her sex remained safe.

As it rushed forward, something stirred on the nearby desk – a book, its pages in clamoring madly to be released from their binds. Upon sighting it, a heartbeat missed a couple skips.

_Shigure was reading that the last time I saw him.  
_

Looking at Kureno, she could see that he too was thinking the same thing; more annoyingly, he knew that she was piecing together the same picture, but as usual, pretended to notice nothing. Ignorant of ignorance.

Some snow blew into her face, melting rivers on her cheek.

She slammed the heels of her hands in the windowsill.

Someone was destroying her, and she just had to find out who it was.

In the garden, a few pink buds dared to poke out of the snow.

_Tohru Honda._

_What's the point? They'll surely die tomorrow.  
_

"Kureno, I'm going to take action."

Kureno said nothing. Surprisingly, the inevitable objection did not instantly surface. Kureno, being the only Juunishi that could, very often made use of his ability to object, though he always made sure to soften the blow with some additional groveling.

"Tohru Honda and I haven't had the ability to converse at length. And I've abandoned those at Shigure's house, forcing them to come here to visit me. You must admit that it's all been selfish of me. Maybe a long vacation, to see how they really live, is in order."

"If you're sick, Akito, then it isn't advisable to travel."

Finally – there it was. But was a medical excuse really the best thing he could come up with? How pathetic; it was so easily dealt with.

"I don't care what's _advisable_," said Akito, her hands balling into her fists. "With you, there will always be something anyway. A cough, an invisible rash – I'm going, regardless if I'm on my death bed.

"But don't worry. I know why you're concerned."

Akito smiled to herself, closing the window. "I would never abandon you, Kureno. Without fail, I will come back to the Main House, to visit you, every day."

Soon she was wrapping her arms around him, planting kisses along the soft expanse of his neck. She could now be touched, the presence of her mother's perfume and Shigure's book duly revenged.

"How long?" asked Kureno, lowering Akito to the floor.

"One month," said Akito.

The urge to sneeze tickled at the back of her throat, but she silenced it with a well-timed kiss.

* * *

**Authoresses' Last Word: Rather short, probably like most of the chapters in this story. There's a slight chance they might get longer, but I doubt it. Anyway, that only means that I'll have a lot more chapters a lot more frequently. Hatori and Shigure will definitely be in the next chapter as well, regardless of how short it is.  
**


	2. The Weather Will Kill You Soon Enough

_Authoresses' Note: It'll probably show, but Shigure's my favorite character. Also, let me apologize in advance for any sighted OOCness - it's not my intent at all, but I tend to do that quite accidentally. And if anyone was wondering, I'm a Kyo and Tohru fan, which will be very well-represented here, no worries.  
_

_There are spoilers in this one too, though if that bothers you, I have to wonder why you read past the first chapter.  
_

_

* * *

_  
**Chapter Two of Flowers in Snow: The Weather Will Kill You Soon Enough**

* * *

When the call first came, it started out normally. It was late morning; Shigure was in the study, for once being kind to his editor through the virtue of work; and all the kids were at school, which was in many ways a relief. Hatori breathed heavily over the phone for a moment (this was the part where Shigure both recongized it was Hatori and that he was taking a drag), before finally stating: "Akito has requested you."

"Oh?" Shigure sighed, glancing at the increasing piles of written work that he had yet to sort through for the next book. As usual, it was the worst possible time, but that would probably make Akito happier. "Alright. I'll be there in half an hour."

Hatori had legendarily bad phone manners. He often failed to see the merit of a conversation that had passed its intended point, so by now he would usually have hung up. But for some reason he hung on, though he didn't say anything. Shigure raised an eyebrow. "Um, Hatori? Something wrong?"

"I don't know. You'd know better."

"Eh? Hatori, please try to make a little bit of sense."

This time, Hatori sighed. It was an uncharacteristic display of emotion, especially for such an ordinary event. After all, Akito probably summoned Shigure about twice a week, and it wasn't uncommon for Shigure to visit in-between those times as well. "You're more adept at understanding Akito than I am, Shigure. But I have a feeling that there's something going on."

Shigure laughed. "There's a lot going on, Hatori. Don't worry, I'll be over soon, and I'll make sure to save you from the scariness."

Then, Hatori hung up.

* * *

Shigure told Akito, "You have an idea." And he waited.

As he saw it, there was no use in beating around the bush. In the secrets of his stance and nuances of his behavior, it was obvious to the well-practiced Shigure that Akito was plotting, or at least planning, something. Hatori was right - Shigure did have a talent for reading the woman - and he could tell that she was excited. It wasn't the kind of happy-excited you might see Tohru wear, either. Akito was never happy-excited.

Akito sat on her hands at the windowsill, her playful grin darkened by a falling wave of hair. "Yes." Turning, she looked at Shigure fully. "I'm taking a vacation."

"Very good. I'd be the first to say that you've been stressed recently."

Something dark within her expression flashed, but she forced it into fading. He'd touched a nerve. More importantly, this 'idea' was so important that she was apparently more interested in communicating than indulging her temper - rather rare. "I agree. The best part is that you won't miss me."

"Oh? Am I accompanying you?"

"Sort of. But you won't find it _too_ foreign, Shigure. My stay at your place should only last a month or so."

* * *

It was quite possible that there was nothing better than this; if there was, Akito was interested in finding out what that might be. Shigure so commonly seemed to know everything - seemed to predict everything, even control things he should technically have no power over - that the ability to truly surprise him was, well, in a way, sacred. She could see that her last line was undoubtedly a shock, though he was working pretty hard to keep a poker face.

"Akito." Shigure began.

"Yes?"

"Have you thought this over thoroughly?"

"What? Of course I have. Jesus, calm down before you give yourself a stroke." Even Akito had to admit that it sounded a little bit ridiculous, since at least on the outside, there was no visible change to Shigure. He was using more serious words like 'thought over', but still smiled like they were having a friendly chat about the weather. "If you're suggesting my company isn't welcome, we'll just have to see about your owning a house on the outside."

"Don't descend to threats, Akito. I wasn't suggesting any such thing. You know I'd be more than happy. I just wanted to make sure that it would be the same for you...though Tohru is so hospitable, it's sort of like living at a spa anyway. So you'll probably enjoy it."

Both parties smiled at each other. The weather was very nice today, though nobody mentioned it.

Not missing a beat, Akito moved on. "Tohru's."

"Tohru's...what? Skirts? They're very pretty."

"No! Her room. Tohru's room."

Shigure shrugged. "Fine. Tohru's room." He paused, blinking hard. "You mean, you, in her room?"

She rolled her eyes. "What did you think?"

"But where will Tohru..."

Akito waved her hands as if dismissing something unpleasant. "No, I'm not interrupting the other plan. She can move into the guest room. Other guest room, I guess. You had two?"

"Ah. Okay. Yeah. That works well."

"Honestly, what else did you think I'd be doing?"

* * *

Shigure knew exactly what he wished would be happening with the sleeping arrangements, but he thought that she'd hit him if he voiced it. So he didn't. "I don't know. Just being silly, I suppose."

_This isn't about me, though. Obviously. To protect Tohru, I'll have to do quite a bit of work, although this also works out nicely as a test for her. It'll be interesting to see how it's handled, especially by Akito's targets - the younger set._

_I have a bad feeling that they won't be happy with me at all..._especially_ those two..._

_

* * *

Authoresses' Last Word: A surprising amount of humor in this chapter (not necessarily funny humor, but you know, I try), but it involved Shigure, so what did you think? And since everything involving Akito in the manga is so achingly serious - and she's practically the main character here (I find her fascinating, personally) - I feel like I have to make it a little bit lighter just to ease some of the connotations she naturally carries with fans. I will have my fair share of drama, but even I'm not going to want to write it if it gets too depressing. _


	3. An Umbrella For Two

_Authoresses' Note: To clarify, it turns out that I'm not that caught up with the manga chapters. I just read a summary of chapter 124, effectively ruining it for myself. But please consider my official knowledge to be...oh, around chapter 100 somewhere. Obviously, it will stay there._

_And finally...Tohru!_

_I'd better explain now that, when in the perspective of a person not aware of Akito's proper sex, 'she' will be referred to as a 'he'. Sorry for any confusion that causes, but honestly it makes more sense to me in the long run. (I also noticed that in the last chapter, I said 'he' in relation to Akito a couple times - but that was sheer editing laziness. Apologies. There might be more mistakes like that, especially concerning spelling, because the computer I'm using right now only has Notepad. It's not nearly as good as Microsoft Word._

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Three of Flowers in Snow: An Umbrella For Two**

* * *

While waiting patiently at the curb, Tohru fidgeted. She played with the straps of her bag and unconsciously shifted weight multiple times, anxiously analyzing the flow of traffic. Her hurry probably had to do with the cold; snow had begun to fall, dusting both the sidewalk and her shoulders. The sky was so overcast that people had their high-beams on, and the falling white had found a way to mute the lights darker than they were. 

Tohru didn't like to fidget. It was a nervous action, like biting her nails, that she was trying to slowly but surely wean herself off of. With a little effort, she forced herself into stillness.

She'd just managed the position for a whole twenty seconds, when a single flake decided to attach itself to the tip of her nose. Despite herself, she twitched. And then sneezed.

"Here."

A familiar voice sounded behind her, and suddenly there was a shadow. Tohru looked up at Kyo and his umbrella, giving a little gasp. "Ah...! Kyo!"

"Traffic's horrible because of the snow." Kyo observed. "Sorry you had to walk part of the way home, Tohru."

"But weren't you going to meet with Sensei today, Kyo?"

With his free hand, he playfully pushed at the back of her head. "Don't worry about that. Sensei was having a class, and neither of us wanted you to walk the whole way back in the snow." Up ahead, the light turned red. "Ah, let's go."

* * *

Shigure was having a little countdown of his own. He could measure the exact second when Tohru would arrive home. He wasn't sure of Kyo, since sometimes he visited Sensei, and he was pretty sure that Yuki would be, as usual, home later - now that he was Class President, he seemed to have a million responsibilities to tend to in the hours after school. It was a lot different than when Ayame held that position; although honestly, it was more like Hatori was the President and Ayame was a very flagrant figurehead. 

He still couldn't decide whether or not it was better to experience the hell all at once, or recieve Yuki's and Kyo's rage individually. In the meantime, he decided that all he could do was drink tea, albeit with a little added gin.

And then the clock struck that fated second; a couple rooms away, he heard the sliding door open. Sighing, Shigure got up from his very comfortable seat, readying himself to break the news.

"Oh hey, Kyo - Tohru -"

Kyo's voice, coming from another room: "Not right now, Shigure. We're all wet."

"Um, well -"

Tohru this time, with that delightful pleasantness: "Oh no, Shigure! It looks like I'm a load behind in the laundry! I'm so sorry!"

"I don't mind, but...Kyo?"

"What?"

Shigure had emerged into the hallway, where Kyo stood, unbuttoning his jacket. He gave Shigure a look that couldn't seem to decide between being confused or annoyed. Eventually, it managed a combination of both.

"Did Tohru go upstairs?"

"Yeah, for the laundry..."

"Ah." Shigure fought to draw his expression as blank as possible. "Well, you should know that we have a visitor."

Kyo scowled. "Not Ayame again!"

"No," said Shigure, smiling faintly. "Not Ayame."

* * *

The laundry fell all over the floor, the multi-colored shades of cloth splaying in multiple directions across wood. In the back of her mind, Tohru told herself not to worry - it was already dirty, and a little companionship with the floor probably wouldn't harm it any. 

The front of her mind wondered why Akito was standing in her room, holding the picture of her mom.

To Akito though, none of this seemed surreal. He looked up and gave Tohru a smile.

"How are you, Miss Honda?"

"Please," said Tohru, making a futile clutching motion for the laundry she'd already dropped. "call me Tohru."

_Akito. _

_...God._

_The person who controls all of the Juunishi's lives._

_Who hurt Hatori's eye.  
_

_And scared Kisa._

_And that time, hit Momiji._

_The one who's going to imprison Kyo after graduation._

Akito was still smiling, though at Tohru's staring a flicker of strain had shone through. "Of course. How silly of me. But you never said how you were, did you?"

Likewise, Tohru fixed on a smile. It was something she did quite unconsciously now, and regularly. Sometimes she felt like it was bad, even morally wrong, because it was so misleading, but she couldn't argue that - at times like this - it certainly had its infinite uses.

"I'm fine. How are you, Akito? It's wonderful that you're visiting here."

"Wonderful...yes. Is this your mother?"

She nodded. For some strange reason, she had an urge to tear the picture out of Akito's hands; but it was fleeting, replaced only by a stronger worry that Akito might accidentally drop it. Or not so accidentally drop it. On previous occassions, Akito had made it crystal clear that her opinion of Tohru didn't always wax favorable.

"Amazing. Though she looks nothing like you." Gently, Akito placed it back on the dresser. "You must miss her terribly."

"Y...yes." She paused, before finally finding courage to ask: "Do you?

"Do I what?

"Have a mother?"

Akito laughed. "You're so silly, Tohru. Do Gods have mothers? Anyway, move out these things, including this ugly picture."

Tohru had learned to prepare herself for anything when facing Akito. But this - this was like toppling off the edge of a cliff. By the power of a few simple words, she felt all the breath rush out of her. A wave of helplessness felt poised to drag her down, just like it was when her mother had died, and she hadn't had any say in the matter. It was surprising, actually, how much this felt exactly like that. Like struggling when it was futile, like you were going to drown in a moment.

"What's that expression about? The picture - or the moving out of your things? Ha! Don't worry, Tohru. I'm not so cold as to place you out on the street, like the dog you are. But I am going to take this room while I visit. Surely Shigure has spoken to you about this? It's really not -"

Just then, a particularly loud noise rocked the house. It was Kyo, yelling, with only three words discernable:

"AKITO IS WHAT!"

* * *

A headache was definitely coming on; Shigure could feel it. He massaged the upper part of his forehead. Then, before the incurring damage had a chance to worsen, he clamped his hand down on Kyo's mouth. In the heat of the moment, it was the only possible way he could think of to stop it. 

So only Kyo's eyes were visible - the eyebrows slanted down angrily, and a fire was definitely lit, somewhere - before Shigure let out a yelp and jumped back.

"You bit me!"

"You're the one who put your hand over a cat's mouth, idiot! And what the HELL are you talking about -"

"Shush, would you? We're not in a place as big as the Main House, Kyo. Akito can definitely hear." Sighing, Shigure transferred his attention from his aching head to his newly pained hand. There was no blood, but it was still as annoying as anything. "How you developed the idea that he's deaf, I have no idea..."

It seemed that Kyo was finally seeing some sense. His mouth stayed shut, his features now pulled into a tight glare. For not the first time in his life, Shigure found himself incredibly thankful that, as much as they might sometimes seem to possess the power, looks cannot actually kill.

_If they could, I'd be dead by Akito long ago._

Seeing no point in continuing to stand there and engage in a staring contest (which he would surely lose), Shigure began to turn away. "Well, now that we've all come to terms with that, let me see if I can..."

"No." Kyo grabbed Shigure's arm, though lightly. "Akito's staying here. Here? For a month?"

"That's what I said. Don't make me say it again. You might bite me."

"Oh, _Jesus _Shigure, I barely grazed you." His voice dropped lower, to a more serious tone. "So he's here...upstairs?"

"Well, do you see him downstairs?"

And that was it. Realization dawned. Kyo's eyes widened, and he immediately let go of Shigure. And then he was up the stairs, to protect his princess.

The fury had temporarily passed. But there would come questions, later. Yuki would come home, pitch a similar fit (hopefully less physically challenging, though Shigure made no foolish wishes), and then both the cat and the rat would want to know why. Why was Akito, who saw this as a place for all the resident misfits of the Juunishi, planning such a long stay?

And Shigure would smile. He would shrug. He would say, 'Why not?' He would secretly wish he could understand it better himself. Because, really, this was inexplicable. It was just like Akito. It was unfathomable.

What he wouldn't tell anyone was that, deep down, a part of him was glad. He missed Akito, even when she was standing right next to him.

* * *

_Authoresses' Last Word: The chapters seem to be getting longer. But they might get shorter again. I'm just writing until I see a good opportunity to end, so it's entirely random. And yes, Akito and Shigure are a close second with Tohru and Kyo for my favorite couple._


	4. Catch the Falling Seeds

_Authoresses' Note: Yay! Reviews make me happy. And yes, I am definitely using the manga as a reference point. Therefore, Akito is a girl – with boobies and everything. Oh, I also strongly support the coupling of Yuki and Machi! And yes, I'm kind of ADD in relation to my attention on the many couples in this story. Sorry!_

_

* * *

_

**Chapter Four of Flowers in Snow: Catch the Falling Seeds**

**

* * *

**

When Kyo arrived, Akito was sitting on Tohru's bed. Tohru was kneeling, gathering her belongings. The sight was such a shock – like something out of a nightmare, actually – that for a good long moment, all Kyo could do was stand and stare.

Akito glanced over, a smirk slowly possessing his expression. "Cat got your tongue, Kyo?"

At those words, Tohru stopped what she was doing with her school books and assorted clothes. "Kyo?"

Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him. How many times had he seen those precise eyes been overcome by tears? He was sure that it was too many. If Akito had done anything to make her cry, he would…

…do nothing.

Suddenly, he realized that he'd run up there without thinking clearly, or at least thoroughly. Akito was possessive, and Kyo could still remember last summer, at the beach house. At the idea that Kyo harbored feelings for Tohru, Akito had become infuriated:

"_A monster in love with a monster?"_

_If I'm too obvious about protecting her, _thought Kyo, every muscle in him feeling weak and helpless, _He'll take it as a personal attack, and an excuse to hurt her even more. _The whole subtle tactic thing was definitely more for Yuki and Shigure. But if Tohru was involved, there was no question that Kyo was willing to go the extra mile.

Tohru looked back at her belongings. "I'm just switching rooms."

"Let me help you with that stuff." Kyo said. "It'll go quicker that way."

Akito leaned back on the pillow, watching them with narrowed eyes. To an observer, it might have seemed that he was sleeping, but neither Kyo nor Tohru occupied themselves with that particular delusion.

* * *

Snow had swallowed everything. In the calm following the storm that was the tag-team duo of Kakeru and Mimi (the two of them were nonstop, consistently agitating Nao and himself for their own amusement), Yuki gazed out the window, lost in thought. After all this time, it still felt slightly surreal that he was Class President.

Coming out of his thoughtful reverie, he realized that he needed to get home. He'd promised to help Tohru with studying for math and history, and he had to at least check the garden. Besides, as much as they frustrated him sometimes, without the rest of the rambunctious student council, the room was depressing.

Yuki had barely moved, however, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Yuki?"

He turned around fully, engaging the girl's gaze. "Machi? You're here late."

Per usual, Machi's monotone voice and static expression never wavered. "A girl asked me to get something for the gardening club."

"Oh. That's right…the president of that club gave me some bulbs for safekeeping this morning. There was no other room, I guess. Can you give me a second?"

It was a useless question, and Machi's silence seemed to state that fact. Admittedly feeling awkward, Yuki fumbled into the nearby closet, pulling out the bag.

Meanwhile, Machi looked outside at the freshly fallen eaves of snow. "They were planning on planting outside. Tomorrow."

"Really?" By this point, Yuki had the bag out. Chuckling, he crossed the distance and held it out to her. "I wonder how that's going to work."

Machi nodded, opening her mouth (about to say something). She stepped forward.

Neither of them saw the broom.

Before Yuki could react, her leg slammed into it, her body automatically tilting forward.

If he had honestly wanted to, he could have turned away in time. He could have let her hit the hard floor. She probably would have gained a sore bruise and a small-sized cut, but his secret would have remained satisfyingly safe. He could have…

…but he didn't. Yuki stood rooted into place, and, like a complete dumb-ass (in his humble opinion), he even held out his arms to catch her. Her fingers tore at the bag for support, but only managed in ripping it open, spilling out the contents. Seeds scattered, all across the floor and the desks and around them.

* * *

Groaning, Machi fought to come back to her senses. She couldn't believe she'd just done that. Still, the fall could have been worse – _much _worse. She'd fallen against something, or somebody – Yuki? – and then it was weird, it was like that surface had just given way, forcing her roughly onto her knees. Not really understanding, Machi opened her eyes.

They instantly widened even further, and she was forced to a fight a gasp back into her throat. Darting up, she grabbed onto a nearby desk.

"I…I turned Yuki into a rat!"

"Machi…" began rat-Yuki.

"I-I – I actually did it. Like, if you have cooties, or if – I turned him into –"

"No, Machi!" cried rat-Yuki empathetically. "You didn't! Well, actually, you did, but –"

Machi wasn't in the mood to listen to a talking rat, especially a talking rat that had, just a few minutes ago, formerly been the President of her class. Moaning, she mumbled over and over: "I can't believe I…I can't believe…" before finally fleeing the room.

Sighing, rat-Yuki began the slow process of collecting his clothes.

* * *

_Authoresses' Note: Whee! Not as fun/funny a chapter as previous ones, but that's probably because Akito wasn't figured very prominently, and Shigure wasn't in there at all. This chapter was basically just fluff. And what will Machi do! Honestly, probably not much in the couple more immediate chapters, but later on... _


	5. Your Heart Gasps

A/N: A little bit later than the others, so I apologize. My attention is currently divided between this and an original romance on The chapters are a bit longer than this one (10 to 14 pages instead of 3 to 6), and since it's a baby with characters from my own head, I'm spending a lot of time on it. If you want to check it out, my penname is Move Mercury and the story is Cry, for the Love Song. I should warn you though, it's a lot different than this (and maybe not as good, because it doesn't have nearly as many reviews). 

Anyway, away from the arbitrary advertisement, and back to what you came here for - some fluffy fanfiction. Please read and review!

* * *

**Chapter Five of Flowers in Snow: Your Heart Gasps**

* * *

Shigure leaned heavily against the front door, and, as he watched Yuki approach, sighed mentally. The boy was almost out of the woods, and by the look of things - his down-turned gaze, inattentive eyes - not in the all-time greatest mood, either. In fact, he looked downright depressed, which, it went without much saying, was bad news.

A depressed Yuki coupled with an angry Yuki had the habit of quickly becoming an extremely lethal Yuki. And if Shigure didn't believe that Yuki was going to get angry - very angry - well, he was fooling himself.

Yuki arrived, looking at Shigure blankly. "You were waiting for me?"

"Ah, yes. There was something I wanted to talk to you about, before you got into the house."

Yuki waited. To him, there was no point in saying anything else. Which was a shame. Shigure wouldn't have minded terribly if the main topic had been temporarily delayed by something ultimately pointless - pointless but, in its simplicity, somehow relaxing.

He cleared his throat. Even after mulling it over for the last few hours, he still wasn't quite sure how to phrase this. He just hoped it would go better than it did with Kyo. His hand still hurt, a little teeth-mark evident.

* * *

"What?"

The tone was surprisingly quiet, even though he was screaming on the inside. His eyes had widened uncontrollably, however; at least in that respect, he couldn't manage to hide his shock.

"I said, Akito is..."

"I heard that part," snapped Yuki. "Why?"

"Oh." Shigure paused, raising an eyebrow. "Well, I don't know."

Yuki wanted to punch him. But somehow, he resisted. "What the _hell_," He said, appropriate emotion finally entering his voice, "are you two planning?"

"Yuki, I know you're not going to believe me, but I honestly don't have anything to do with this. It's as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

"You're right. I don't believe you."

_Wait. I shouldn't be worrying about this right now. The question is, where is Tohru, and where is Akito, and are they anywhere close to each other? _Since the only way of answering that particular question was with actual investigation, Yuki moved to head into the house. But Shigure's arm came down, successfully blocking his entry.

"Hold on, Yuki. I can see the way you're glaring at me, so stop it. Tohru and Akito are in separate rooms now, and for the time being, there they'll stay; Kyo's seen to that. He's..." Shigure stopped to smile painfully: "'contanimated' Tohru's area. Or at least, that's how Akito put it to me. I should tell you, though, that Akito's taken Tohru's room - Tohru is in the other guest room, now."

Yuki scowled. "Don't say 'other'. Tohru's room was never a guest room. She was never a guest."

Shigure moved his arm, and grinned, shrugging. "Oh, I don't know. Surely, in the beginning, she -"

Passing the threshold at last, Yuki sent a backwards glare over his shoulder. "Clearly, you didn't hear me the first time. I said _never_."

He didn't wait around for Shigure's response, because they'd just be caught in some useless, dead-end argument. He marched through the house, though really, he walked normally; as much as he'd love to put on a little demonstration of his anger, release his steam, he'd caught onto the idea rather quickly that they were now tip-toeing around Akito's watchful, malicious wrath.

As he advanced down the main hall, he spotted Kyo, standing on the steps. Their eyes locked.

It didn't take a genius, or even an unusually perceptive person, to realize that Kyo was as enraged about this as he was. Or that, quietly, they were both blaming the other - because Akito had obviously come here to target somebody. Akito barely knew Tohru, and seemed to get on amicably enough with Shigure (frankly, too amicably).

Yuki could feel his gut sink into his knees. It was probably him. Kyo being the resident monster of the Juunishi, Akito actively avoided him like the plague.

_If this is all my fault..._

_...I'll fix it,_ thought Yuki determinedly. _Somehow._

As the cat and the rat passed each other on the steps, Yuki could feel Kyo's tension building. He was so easy to read, just like a snake coiling before striking. That was why he would never win a fight with someone like himself, who was able to predict an opponent's actions and compensate for them. Kyo was compulsive, right down to his soul. Yuki braced himself for the blow, already possessing a planned counter-move.

Except that it never came. It simply didn't happen. Kyo stepped off the last step, and left. Uncomprehending, Yuki stared after him.

_Odd. I thought that, given the situation, and its implications for Tohru, he would be angry enough to -_

_Unless...he...  
_

_For Tohru..._

_He's actually not fighting, even when he really wants to. To protect her._

This was all getting too complicated. Between Machi, Tohru and Akito, Yuki didn't know what to do.

"Yuuuki." Appearing suddenly behind him, Akito draped both arms over Yuki's shoulders. "Talk to me."

Turning, Yuki smiled. "All right. What do you want to talk about?"

Strangely enough, Akito only wanted to talk about the weather. But Yuki wasn't complaining.

* * *

Come sunrise the next day, the snow began to burn with a golden glow. Tohru woke up with a yawn, and thought to herself that, all in all, this new room wasn't that bad. She had a better view of the woods from here, and at the moment it was a very pretty winter scene.

_Oh, no! I left my brush in Akito's room!_

Akito's room was the last place she wanted to be, especially after the scathingly icy mood Akito had been in yesterday. But she had no choice; that was her only brush, and she had no available money to purchase another. There was no way she was asking any friends for help, either, not when she actually hadn't lost it, not permanently. So, dressing quickly, she stepped into the outside hall, making sure to stay quiet in case people were still sleeping. It was a weekend day.

Tohru tried knocking on the door, but no one answered. "Akito?" Again, she tried knocking. Still no answer. Slowly, she opened the door. Just as it'd seemed, nobody was here - but neither was the long sought-after brush.

_Oh. It's probably in the connecting bathroom._

And without thinking, she opened the bathroom door.

Almost instantly, her eyes widened, and a gasp caught in her throat.

_Akito is...!_

_

* * *

_

A/N: I'm so ADD with the character POV's. And if you haven't figured out what Tohru sees in the bathroom, I hit you. Hard. This is probably the most predictable thing I've ever done.


	6. The Monster's Cage

A/N: Sorry to have ruffled any feathers with another late-ish update (just a week or so), but try to understand: I'm a high-school senior currently trying to wrestle with scholarships, year-long projects, and my other writings, which largely consists of original work (as that is my passion). Still, I solemnly swear to never go longer than two weeks without an update! And if you didn't guess, the site I was referring to last chapter was fiction press. Now, to the angsty goodness – please leave a review or two!

* * *

**Chapter Six of Flowers in Snow: The Monster's Cage**

* * *

"I'm sor –"

The half-formed apologetic words hung empty and unfinished in the air, and Tohru took a sep back, as if to escape the scene. However, frozen like a deer caught in headlights, she couldn't move, couldn't even blink.

Akito was in a similar state of shock. If Tohru hadn't been paying abject attention, she would have thought that Akito was merely wounded – after all, he was unwrapping bandages from around his upper chest. Except that the pink of a nipple was protruding through, capping off a small mound of pale flesh.

And Tohru realized.

He was…

…a _she_.

_Akito's a girl!_

Suddenly, the seemingly suspended moment roared back to life. "Lock the door!" cried Akito, everything about her body language screaming anger and wrath – her tightened muscles, her darkly narrowed eyes. "Lock the damn door!"

But the last thing Tohru wanted to do was lock the damn door. Then she'd be trapped in a small space with a very angry Akito. Before she could react, Akito strode forward, pushed Tohru back, and locked the door with a series of manic motions. The last sharp _click_ reverberated, leaving Tohru with a strangely acute sense of isolation.

Somehow, nobody ever felt as lonely as when they were with Akito. Tohru stared at Akito's heaving back, waves of fear washing over her.

* * *

For a moment, all Akito could hear was her own ragged breathing. In exhaustion, her head fell against the door. A million and one tiny screams were building, the panic pressuring – because Tohru knew.

She definitely knew.

_She knows my greatest secret._

_My worst weakness._

And Akito wanted to inflict bodily harm. She wanted to kill. She wanted to rip every golden strand of hair from the goddamn bitch's head. Her fingers tightened anxiously, continually curling and uncurling into fists.

A deep scowl furrowing her expression, she turned away from the door and towards Tohru.

The smaller girl instinctively took a step back. "Akito…what are you…why are you…"

Things connecting, Akito realized with horror that she couldn't manhandle Tohru _too _badly. Yuki and Kyo would notice later; they might actually hear the commotion it would cause, right now. Who knows – it might even bother Shigure, of all people. Whatever the case, questions would doubtlessly ensue. Tohru would tell. More people would know.

Her God status would finally and completely shatter, proved fragile at best.

"Why the hell did you come here?" asked Akito, though she regarded the question ultimately meaningless herself. It didn't matter, really, because regardless of reasons, she _was _here - and so they were already damned. Advancing menacingly, she took some of Tohru's hair, pulling at it.

"B-brush…" stammered Tohru, fear brightly evident in her little doe-like eyes.

"You came here for a fucking brush?"

"I-I…" Tears started to form at the edges of Tohru's eyes.

"Do you know what will happen if you tell anyone?" Akito's voice was a low hiss. "You've just given me a convenient excuse to erase her memory, little girl."

"No!" Tohru nearly fell down, the back of her legs coming up hard against the toilet. "You…you…you'd rather have me not tell, right? I-I – I won't tell, unless you make plans to erase my memory! And if you do, I'll…"

"Tell?"

Gasping against tears, Tohru managed a slow nod.

Akito's mind reeled. _Idiot girl_. It was altogether possible that Tohru could divulge this pricey information before Hatori was able to shut her up forever. Was it worth the risk?

Deep down, Akito knew it wasn't.

Letting go of Tohru and her hair, Akito grabbed a black kimono lying on the counter, pulling it over her head and around her body just as she'd originally intended. When she was done, she allowed the cloth to settle over her skin, thinking hard. Now that she was no longer directly facing Tohru, she could afford to look a little crestfallen every now and then, and she did, her face cringing into a silent moan.

"Fine. I'll allow you to keep your memory for now, as long as you remember to keep quiet about this. But…if you tell…" Turning, Akito looked back at Tohru with scathing eyes. "I will _ruin_ you. You will be _relieved_ when you can no longer remember what I did to you."

_There. That allows rather powerful imagery for the active imagination._

Again, Tohru nodded. "Y-yes."

"Now _leave_. Get_ **out**_!"

But Tohru, seated on the toilet, made no such action. Her mouth opened unsurely, closed, and then repeated the action: "Akito. Wait. Please."

"_What_?" Akito snapped furiously.

"I would like to m-make another request of you…a-another condition…"

Akito's eyes widened. "What?" She asked, her voice considerably quieter this time.

"Are you still…going to imprison Kyo?"

Pausing, Akito didn't seem to understand. Then she laughed, relieving giggles that rolled over her entire body. "You make it sound so unnatural, Tohru, when it's anything but. Doesn't a monster need a cage?"

* * *

Small rivers were flowing down her cheeks and her chin; curiously, Tohru had stopped feeling anything besides saturated air and the cool porcelain of the toilet against her legs. She'd stopped thinking, acting merely on instinct. She knew that she would never get another chance like this – a chance to change something, make a difference.

_Kyo's not a monster_, thought Tohru. _He's not…_

"Please don't." She said, her voice at first timid, before finally growing in assurance. "That's…my other condition. I…I won't tell, if you promise not to imprison Kyo. If you promise to allow him freedom after high school, I won't tell anyone."

* * *

A/N: Tah-dah! My one friend read through this and pointed out, wouldn't Akito just have her memory erased? I did insert a lot of half-baked reasons why it would be difficult for her, but I still freely admit that my fanfiction has lots and lots of plot holes! I don't really care though, because for me, the eventual setups are worth it…I hope it doesn't bother anyone, though. 


End file.
